Music Review: Dasavathaaram

Cutting out musical verbiage on this one: Readers kindly note that words like lilting, titling, melodious, depth, soulful, catchy and so on will not appear in this review. Simply for the absence of it all, read at your own risk.

Himesh makes his Kollywoodsian (Tamil film industry) debut in another avatar (albeit musical) with this more than one headed offering.

Ulaganayagan starts off with a nice groove, some neat tempo and then meanders into territories unchartered – the result, a single composition born from numerous decompositions. It sounds like a wannabe anthem eked out of a sample repository.

Hariharan goes through Kaalai Mattum Kandal like another day in the office. The transitions definitely could have been harmonised better, considering the presence of Periyazhwar's omniscient and omnipotent Pallaandu.

Kamal Haasan croons like a cuckoo on Oh, Ho Sanam, finding his voice totally dwarfed by Mahalaxmi Iyer's. The sonorous undertones of a typical Kamal song are evidently absent. Be it an Anbe Sivam or an Inji Idupazhagi from Thevar Magan, Kamal's voice comes with its own identity...Or should I say Godfatherly granular clarity. This piece is definitely far cry from the ones we are familiar with, you know a Kamal in his avatharam when you hear one. This one seems to have been sung as the flavour of the season rather than with a reason.